I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The story was exciting and it had a feeling of authenticity. I know nothing about the peoples the book is about, so I have no way of knowing how well the authors did their homework, but it felt real. Even the fantasy elements did not detract from the “real feel.”
I for one was quite glad that the Danelaw was defeated by the English and driven out, so I read this book from the “other side,” but I still enjoyed it. The characters, even though they are my ancestral enemies, were likeable. Somehow the Gears made me care even about Danes. My only quibble was the word “anchorite,” which was used inaccurately and meaninglessly. It annoyed me every time the word appeared.